A Winter's Eve
by UnderWaterUnicorn
Summary: The death of one of their brothers hits particularly hard, especially for Raph.  Dedicated to one of my best friends, who died 9/13/2011


**My first attempt on a One-Shot!**

**Please go easy on me…but you can be mean, I think I can take it.**

**Here we are!**

**Oh few cuss words here and there but, I didn't think they were a big deal so that's why its rated T. If you think I need to change it let me know.**

**I own nothing!**

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><p>Leo looked down at the grave, and gave a slit tremble. This was so uncanny. He looked to his left and saw an unmasked brother, standing silently, his jaw tight and mask tangled in his deep forest fingers. His brother's breaths swirled out from the cold air that surrounded them.<p>

It was odd seeing his brother without his mask. Sure when he was angry or sad he kept his mask on hiding his raw emotion from the world. However, it was his eyes that gave away his miserable state.

His brother was, gone from the world, shattered.

White snowflakes slowly fell from the sky, dividing the space between Leonardo and his unnerved brother.

To his brother's right, Leo herd Donatello sigh unsteady, his eyes stuck on the small grave. Don shut his eyes tight preventing tears to flow.

"Come on guys, its cold lets go," Don said slowly and placed a hand on Raph's shoulder. Raph gave no response in hearing his brother.

"Raph," A small voice piped up from beside Donatello. Mikey walked in front of Raph and placed a hand on his brothers other shoulder. "Come on."  
>A slow sigh escaped Raph as he stood there ignoring his brothers. After a few moments of hesitation, Raph silently turned and began to walk back into the shadows of New York City.<p>

The snow crunched beneath there feet, from the full day of light snow fall, it was the only sound that passed between the three brothers.  
>Leonardo stayed behind and stared at the small grave covered in snow, before fallowing his brothers, not making a sound as he passed threw the snow.<p>

That evening's meal was passed in tense silence. News of the tragedy spread to there friends, making the couple to come down to the sewers and comfort the family. Death was common in there line of work, but never came from the family's side. The emotions that followed this loss were followed by silence.

There evening pizza was half eaten, and half eaten slice on each of there plates. Master Splinter sat isolated at the end of the table leaning on his elbows, his face read with no emotion. He poked at his food when Mrs. Jones told him to eat something, he only took two small bites from the one slice of pizza.

Raph hadn't even attempted to eat in the last two days. Splinter tried to get his son to take a few bites of his food, but got no reaction except a small growl and then his son leave the table crudely.

Most days, Raph sat on the rooftops and stared up into the cloudy sky, watching snow fall slowly from the dark sky. He kept a hard statue, unreadable face.

Leo would sit next to his younger brother and follow him to the rooftops, hoping to help his brother. Leonardo, would wonder what he would be thinking, what was going threw his brothers head. Raph never spoke, nor did Leo, he just hoped that his presence was doing more help then harm.

Whether Raphael blamed their attackers, or blamed himself, no one could tell. However, Leo knew that Raph blamed himself for what had happened. He'd done this before when Leo was hurt by the Shredder and thrown threw April's window. Leonardo was the only one who could read his brother easily, it was written on his face like a book. Raph's only thought, _Why didn't I do something to help?_

Nights when he thought no one was looking, Raph would cry, _no_, sob till he fell asleep, curled in a ball in the corner of his room. Leo was the only one to know.

After three months of silence, Mikey would try and make a family member smile. The sadness pulled too much on his cheery heart.

One night, on the rooftops of an apartment building, a kid came to the top of roof. Raph just sat on the roof and ignored the shouting from the kid.

"Hey!" The kid called over to Raph, who just sat and overlooked him. Slowly the kid stumbled over and sat beside Raphael. The kid held a beer bottle in his hand, half empty. "H-Hey!" The kid screamed again. The kid leaned back chugging the last of the beer, and threw it into the dark ally below. "What's…wrong?" The kid swayed from side to side a stupid smile plastered in his face. Leo stayed back and crossed his arms in disappointment.

With a light sigh Raph spoke silently, "Someone died."  
>The kid stayed quite until he busted out into a drunken laugh. "Dude," he punched Raph's arm still laughing, "Chill!"<p>

The kid wrapped an arm around Raph and breathed into Raphael's face. "L-Look," The kid swallowed then chuckled, "Who died?"

"Family," Raph spoke getting angry with the drunken kid.

The kid busted out into another laugh riot, "Hey…dude. Look, my whole family died before I turned 4, and look at me now. I'm just fine," The kid threw his arms in the air showing just how _'fine'_ he was. "So you lost a punk-ass family member! I'm sure you got plenty more!"

Raph was on his feet in a split second holding the drunken kids throat. "What the fuck did you just say?" Raphael growled angrily. Behind his red mask, his anger radiated from his body in deadly waves.

The kid was ether to stupid or to drunk, probably both. The kid slowly reached up and patted Raph's face, while laughing. "Look dude, no biggie. If your person was really that stupid enough to get killed good rid-"

Raph growled loudly and sent a punch to the kids face sending him to the snowy. "You fucking ass-hole!" Raph screamed and launched himself onto the unconscious kid. As he plowed his fists into the boy, Mikey and Don had found there brother. They raced over to him and dragged him away from the battered up and bloody kid.

"Raphael!" Don shouted, trying to calm his brother who fought against his restraints. "Raph!" Donny called again, this time getting his brothers attention. Suddenly, Raph collapsed onto his hands and knees, panting.

Mikey sat next to Raph and rubbed his shell affectionately. Don studied the kid. Breathing out heavily Donny face his brothers, Raph was now in Mikey's lap. "He's going to be fine. But you really did a number on him Raph," Don spoke silently.

Leo never felt so helpless, just standing back letting the scene unfold in front of him.

"Need to talk Raph?" Don asked as he knelt in front of his brother.

Raph, started to breath heavily, as though he was in pain. He struggled to regain his composter, but his head was swimming with overwhelming emotion. He needed to _run_. So that's what he did.

Picking himself away from his brother, Raph ran and jumped away from his brothers.

He just kept running, not caring where he went, as long as he ran he was fine.

Finally, he came to a stop to ketch his breath. Raph let out a scream, the pain that he'd been holding for so long. He screamed because he was guilty. He screamed because he was angry. He screamed because he lost his older brother.

He screamed because he lost his brother, his _best_ friend.

Tears streamed from his eyes, but no one would have guessed past the loud breaking of would and glass. Whatever was close to Raph, he tore open and shattered it into pieces.

Grabbing his mask, Raph snarled and ripped it into a million pieces, leaving it to lie on the dirty abandoned building ground.

Finally, from complete exhaustion, Raph fell on the ground. His shell pressed roughly against the corner of the building.

Leo wanted to cry. He'd watch every moment of Raph's break down, every tear, scream and broken would or glass. And still he couldn't do anything, except watch his brother cry in complete grief. Suddenly he came to a realization.

…His presence didn't make things better. It only reminded his brother of what he lost…

Leo let a tear slip down his cheek. He knew what he needed to do. This was as hard as it was from him as it was for Raph.

Slowly he reached up to his blue mask and removed it slowly, felling the cloth slip off his face.

Leo kneeled down next to Raph and placed a silent kiss on his brother's forehead. His brother slept as Leo spoke his last words to his brother, "See you latter, bro."

He slipped the cloth into his brother's hands. Leo stood up and walked out of the room.

For reasons he never understood, Raph suddenly woke from his deep sleep. His vision was blurred but soon became clear as he looked down in his hands. Blue warm cloth was placed in his.

Raph looked around, no way out except threw the windows and they all looked the same. He sighed another tear slipped down his face.

As he walked back to his brothers' grave, Raph rubbed the soft blue surface. He stopped in front of the small grave and smiled as he let tears slowly slide down his face. "Thanks bro." Raph sighed, "Love ya, to. See you soon."  
>On the grave it read<p>

_Leonardo Hamato_

_Friend, Brother, Leader_

_R.I.P._

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><p><em><strong>This story is dedicated to one of my friends who died 913/2011...I miss him so much right now. Hope your happy were you are Clifton and i hope you kick those Soccer gods butts! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH CLIFFORD!**_

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><p><strong>Did ya like it?<strong>

**Well I enjoyed writing it!**

**Review please!**


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